Staff
The people of The Land Institute tend to be like the prairie — diverse and perennial. We are working together to accomplish a mission to which we are all passionately committed. Click on the photo of each staff member below for their bio. Visit our Board of Directors or Interns page for additional profiles.
Maya Allen
Research Technician, Soil Ecology
Allison Barleen
Soil Ecology Intern
Spencer Barriball
Research Program Manager, Perennial Legumes
Glory Benacka
Greenhouse Manager
Anita Chase
Operations Specialist
Joe Chen
Research Technician, Perennial Wheat
Edy Chérémond
Lab Manager, Crop Protection Ecology
Marty Christians
Senior Research Technician, Kernza®
Evan Craine
Research Scientist II - Crop Stewardship
Pat Crepps
Facilities and Grounds Assistant
Tim Crews
Chief Scientist; Director of the International Initiative
Hunter Doyle
Research Scientist I - Crop Stewardship
Lee DeHaan
Lead Scientist, Kernza® Domestication Program
Madeline DuBois
Lab Manager, Soil Ecology
Matt Dunn
IT and Safety Specialist
Tiffany Durr
Senior Facilities Operations Manager
Madeline Dykstra
Soil Ecology Research Assistant
Hana Fancher
Senior Research Technician, Crop Stewardship
Laura Froese
Accounting Manager
Westen Gehring
Grants Specialist
Adam Gorrell
Senior Research Technician
Marilyn Haines
Executive Assistant
Olivia Hamilton
Research Assistant, Greenhouse
Scott Hamilton
Facilities Manager
Gina Harding
Research Assistant, Crop Protection Genetics
Todd Humiston
Integrated Pest Management Specialist
Zach Jake
Research Assistant, Perennial Sorghum
Laura Kemp
Perennial Agriculture Project, Field Station Manager
Tammy Kimbler
Chief Communications Officer
Ron Kinkelaar
Senior Research Technician
Jessica Kleoppel
Director of Development
Reece Knapic
Research Scientist I, Perennial Cultures Lab
Bo Meyering
Applications Developer
Isabella Mosera
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher, Soil Ecology
Ebony Murrell
Lead Scientist, Crop Protection Ecology
Pheonah Nabukalu
Lead Scientist, Perennial Sorghum
Liberty Nichols
Operations Support Coordinator
Lydia Nicholson
Research Technician, Educational Design
Kaiden O’Dell
Research Assistant, Crop Protection Ecology
Lauren Perez
Senior Donor Database Specialist
Tessa Peters
Director of Strategy
Laura van der Pol
Lead Scientist, Soil Ecology
Krista Robinson
Director of People and Culture
Mercedes Santiago
Greenhouse Specialist
Brandon Schlautman
Lead Scientist, Perennial Legumes
Tejas Srikanth
Integrated Marketing Communications Specialist
Aubrey Streit Krug
Director of Perennial Cultures Lab
Rachel Stroer
President
Tracie Mattivi Thomas
Chief Operating Officer
Betsy Trana
Senior Research Technician, Perennial Oilseeds
Kathryn Turner
Lead Scientist, Crop Protection Genetics
David Van Tassel
Lead Scientist, Perennial Oilseeds (Silphium)
Amanda Wagner
Annual Giving Officer
Shuwen Wang
Lead Scientist, Perennial Wheat
Kelsey Whiting
Perennial Grain Policy and Government Affairs, Postdoctoral Researcher
Brenna Wilcox
Operations Project Coordinator